Chapter 967 |
Chapter 967
Previously, at the very bottom of the sea, Yuder, moving through the water with Kishiar, thought,
‘We've done everything we can at the bottom of the sea.’
It felt like an eternity since he had forgotten everything in the deepest part of the sea, focusing solely on exerting his strength. Yuder instinctively felt that the external force trying to break through his power and burrow deeper into the seabed was gone.
This meant that Yuder had successfully protected the land, and the monsters, pulled by Kishiar's power, had all escaped in a direction other than the seabed.
The outcome was, indeed, more successful than anticipated.
However, this was obviously not the end. The monsters that had emerged were bound to rise following the water's current, so it was necessary to prepare for the aftermath of the last crack facing imminent destruction. Naturally, this aftermath was an earthquake.
The last crack was half-buried beneath the seabed. Although Yuder had prevented the monsters lurking within from burrowing deeper, the moment the crack vanished, the very spot would empty, causing the rocks of the land he had previously collapsed to shift positions once again.
Even with Kishiar's support and having exerted their strength to the fullest, it took so much time to do what they had managed up to this point. Building is difficult, but collapsing happens in an instant; with the remaining strength, it was impossible to block them all at once. Pouring the little energy left into this would be disproportionately challenging and would also mean dragging Kishiar into danger.
Originally, he hadn't expected such a favorable outcome. He had braced for minor earthquakes or unforeseen incidents during the process of drawing out the monsters, thinking that even if they managed to achieve their goal, they would have to stay underwater for quite some time to respond. But now, they had successfully pulled out the monsters without causing an underwater earthquake, and the crack's disappearance was not immediate. There was a brief window just before the aftermath struck.
This meant... it was possible to consider a secondary plan.
The underwater earthquake resulting from the crack's disappearance would be significantly weaker than the one that would have been caused by the monsters. With time on their hands, perhaps they could regroup with nearby members, quickly retreat to the water's surface, and confront the aftermath and the remaining monsters there. If successful, they could ensure the safety of the members, which, in their current exhausted state, would be the safest possible outcome.
But what if, contrary to Yuder's judgment, the earthquake resulting from the crack's disappearance was not weaker than the one caused by the monsters?
What if something had already happened to the members in Steiber's direction before they regrouped?
What if joining the other members on the surface, though seemingly simple, ended up causing more confusion?
If Yuder were alone, it would be best to continue holding his ground as before. But wouldn't it be right to send Kishiar straight up?
The better-than-expected outcome of the plan made the decision for the next move even more difficult. Even Yuder, who usually made quick decisions, found it hard to determine which option was better in this situation. The thought that a moment's choice could lead to the loss of countless lives, just like in a previous life, would have made it difficult for anyone.
In that brief yet intense moment of contemplation, it was Kishiar La Orr who brought it to a close, naturally.
He tugged at Yuder's hand, which he had been holding tightly all this time. When Yuder turned his head, Kishiar reached out with his free hand to caress Yuder's cheek, and then the area beneath his brightly shining golden eyes.
In the cold, dark water, that slow touch felt as if a burning flame had reached him. Yet, it wasn't painfully scorching. Rather, it felt pleasantly warm and comforting, like basking beside a stove in winter.
The man parted his lips and conveyed a short message, audible enough for Yuder to understand.
"Actually, at the last moment, I changed the direction of the force."
He changed the direction of the force at the last moment?
"What does that mean..."
Yuder couldn't grasp the cryptic meaning of those words for a moment, but then his eyes widened in realization.
While Yuder had been manipulating the seabed, Kishiar had been pulling the monsters emerging from the crack, preventing them from burrowing under the seabed. Changing that at the last moment could have meant pushing them in the opposite direction, but pushing didn't necessarily imply only one direction.
Yuder recalled the battle report from the members.
The man who had shattered the massive cluster of monsters into pieces, allowing others to only deal with smaller ones - a miraculous feat. Although he didn't know the specifics, it must have involved cutting the surface of the monsters and then 'pushing' to sever the connections between the smaller creatures that made up the larger monster's body.
But what if he had successfully repeated the same feat just now?
The monsters struggling to escape from the crack were not yet strongly connected. Since all of this occurred amidst the underwater collapse caused by Yuder, Kishiar's power could have briefly penetrated the weak bonds.
If he had managed to loosen the connections between the monsters by changing the direction of the force...!
Then, the last massive monster that had escaped would not be able to move as swiftly or create giant currents like the previous ones. If luck was on their side, a few attacks might be enough to shatter it into small pieces in the water. Smaller monsters were not necessarily easier to handle, but it was crucial that they couldn't do what the larger, combined creature could.
With that in mind, the second plan he had been pondering until just now seemed quite, no, extremely viable.
Caught in these frantic thoughts, Yuder gazed at the man who had accomplished this incredible feat and laughed silently to himself.
"...Then, ascending seems to be the better choice."
"Shall we?"
The hesitation over whether to do it or not became irrelevant. Yuder finally admitted to himself that he had actually preferred the second option all along.
Rumbling. Vibrations began to emanate from the giant hole in the seabed created by Yuder. It seemed that the crack, now devoid of anything more to escape, was finally starting to vanish.
Kishiar wrapped his arms around Yuder's waist. Had Yuder used only his remaining strength, their ascent would not have been very fast. But the moment Kishiar's power subtly merged with his, the current's direction swiftly changed, propelling them upwards without hesitation.
And then, it was now.
From the distant seabed, the vibrations from the collapsing land filling the vanished crack's place shook the water. The tremors spread, moving the entire sea, starting to sweep up the scattered remnants of the monsters, bringing them to the surface.
Yuder, feeling the sequence of events more vividly than anyone, focused solely on pushing everyone upwards without looking back. His strength was already nearing its end, but the current he had created to lead them all above the water continued to fulfill its role without weakening or ceasing. This was partly because Kishiar was exerting his force to push them, and also because the other members nearby were continuously adding their strength, albeit small, to the flow Yuder had strained to create.
In an instant, their altitude increased, and amidst the rapidly changing pressure, a power emitting a bright white light enveloped them for protection. The once pitch-black water turned blue, then light, and finally bright, swelling into a massive wave that surged upwards, enveloping them.
Whoosh!
As the wave crashed against their skin and they emerged from under the sea, they reached the location of their comrades above the water.
“Haaah! Cough, cough!”
“Commander!”
“Yuder!”
The other members, who had barely managed to stabilize their nearly capsized boat, reached out in unison to rescue them. Steiber and his team members, floating on the water as if they had collapsed, were spitting out water and gasping for breath.
Yuder, having glanced at the high sun, reflexively turned his head away. Similarly, the man, thoroughly drenched, lifted his head above the water, droplets falling from his golden hair, and smiled with a pale face.
Skin covered with thin scars. Clothes so ruined it was hard to believe he was of noble blood.
Yet, he was still alive and well enough to smile.
Alive, they had returned together to the surface.
“What has happened below the water...?”
At that moment, the waves stirred unusually. Kishiar's expression changed. The man, still submerged in water, pointed deep below the sea and opened his mouth.
“Soon, a wave carrying monsters will hit this place. But this will be the last of them. Is everyone ready?"